The increasing demand for high speed and secure communication can be achieved by using known in the art glass fiber-optic links. When the practical limit on a single physical link is met, several links can be aggregated. Aggregation of fiber-optic links is usually done using bundles or ribbons made of several fibers. Glass fiber-optic cables are preferably used for long distance communication links. The use of cable connectors and installation procedures for glass fiber-optics aggregations is complex and expensive.
Another option is the use of Plastic Optic Fibers (POF). POFs are known in the art plastic fibers having comparatively large diameter core in the range of 0.2 to 1.0 mm. used for light transmission in the communication and control industry. POF cables are preferably used for short length links. POF single core cables excel in straight forward, low cost connection processes. In some applications the cutting of the fiber cable can be performed in the field even with a simple knife.
Multi-Core POF (MC-POF) is a type of optical fiber constructed of many small diameter optical cores. The main benefit of such a fiber is its improved bending radius, which is related to the smaller core diameter. One practical application of MC-POF is in combination with optical transceivers—optical transmitters and receivers sharing the same housing and some circuitry, which convert electric signals into light signals and vice versa.
FIG. 1A illustrates a cross section of a known in the art Multi-Core Plastic Optical Fiber (MC-POF) 10, which is made of a multitude of plastic cores 12 arranged in a circular structure, embedded in an opaque flexible bonding material and covered by a jacket 14. In the example of FIG. 1A there are 37 cores arranged in three concentric circles around center core 12c. MC-POFs by ASHAI of Japan type SMCK1000P have different number of cores 12 in each fiber, e.g. nineteen cores or thirty seven cores. The diameter of each core 12 in the nineteen core fiber can be, for example, 0.2 mm and the fiber outer diameter may be 1.5 mm. In prior art the MC fiber is used preferably as a single link data communication, wherein part or all cores in the fiber conduct light generated by a single source. One benefit in using MC-POF as compared to a single core POF may be to achieve an improved bending radius, which may be advantageous in the installation process of optical cables.
The practical use of MC-POFs in the industry and in the field requires connection of known in the art optical transceivers on both sides of the fiber. FIG. 1B describes schematically an optical assembly of MC-POF 10 with two optical transceivers 18a and 18b connected on both side of a segment of the fiber 10.
It is possible theoretically to use the MC fiber to communicate several data links in parallel, using individual cores in the fiber as independent data links.
There is a need for apparatus and methods to enable an efficient and effective connection, including alignment, between Plastic Optical Fiber individual cores in a MC fiber and their related multi transmitter/receiver optical transceivers.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.